Many households now contain personal digital input and recording devices typically for video, still image, audio and combinations thereof. These same households also contain computer monitors, televisions and other display devices. However there is currently no simple and convenient system by which these devices can communicate efficiently.
Many consumers would like to use personal digital input devices to record and display video, images and audio content. Current video cameras, still-image cameras and audio input devices have limited display/playback capabilities. A typical video camera or still-image camera has only a very small display that is insufficient to show a user any fine detail. Personal, portable audio devices also suffer from limited playback capabilities through small headsets.
Many televisions and other display devices can be connected to stationary playback devices (i.e., DVD players, VCRs) that allow the television or display to display images and/or video. However, these devices typically do not accept the media (i.e., Smartmedia Cards, Compact Flash Cards, mini digital video tapes, etc.) that personal digital input devices use for recording. A user typically has to go through a media conversion process before displaying or playing back on a stationary device with acceptable display or consumption capabilities.
Accordingly, a personal, portable input device that is wirelessly networked to a display/playback device would provide all the convenience of the personal portable device with expanded display/playback capabilities of a more stationary A/V display such as a digital television.
Current personal digital input devices are not specifically coupled or paired, through a wireless network, with a more stationary display/playback device. Typically, these devices must have full storage and limited display/playback capabilities onboard the personal, portable device so that it can be used as a stand-alone unit. This generally makes the pair of devices more expensive and tends to make the personal, portable device more cumbersome. It would be advantageous to have devices that are wirelessly networked and paired together so that the personal, portable device can “offload” some of its functionality to the more stationary device thereby making the portable device more portable and less expensive.